Chapter 66: The Appearance of a New Work

A few days later.

A peaceful air lingered in Gyeonghigung Palace, where the Emperor was staying.

Originally, Emperor Qianlong was planning to start his official schedule in Joseon after resting to recover from the fatigue of his long journey, beginning with a boat outing.

However, on that day, he just happened to recall precious old memories while on the boat, and it drained his energy.

Memories he had buried long ago surged up and shook his heart, leaving the aged emperor limp, and as a result...

" is a masterpiece, no matter how many times I read it..."

Emperor Qianlong ended up overturning all his plans, extending his convalescence, and spending his days lounging about, engrossed in novels.

Meanwhile, Gi-yun, who had been responsible for cleaning up after the Emperor throughout the tour, was on the verge of popping his eyes out trying to adjust the schedule.

Not that the Emperor cared.

"The tangled emotions of the three characters and the excellent han poetry woven in between bring the story to life again today..."

Leaning back at length, Qianlong was about to recite, for the hundredth time, the han poetry from the novel, which he must have recited hundreds of times before.

Flip.

With a light rustle of paper, the cover of the book slid to the floor.

He had read it so much that the binding threads had snapped and the cover had separated.

"Tai Gaam...!!"

Normally, such a mishap would never occur, as the eunuchs were supposed to attend to every detail.

Annoyed, Qianlong summoned the head eunuch.

But in the next moment, someone who had nothing to do with his summons appeared in the imperial bedchamber.

No, on second thought, considering what he did, maybe it was appropriate that he showed up.

"Are you still reading that book, Your Majesty?"

"What is it, Gi-yun? Aren’t you supposed to be translating the miscellanies of that Park Ji-won fellow right now...??"

The Emperor frowned at his servant, who had slipped out of the translation room of his own accord.

"Yes, but there was a reason I needed to delay the imperial order for a moment."

"Delay??"

"Indeed. All my actions are born out of loyal devotion to Your Majesty."

Gi-yun smiled slyly, dodging the Emperor’s annoyance with his usual oily flattery.

Having served the Emperor for years, he already had a plausible excuse prepared to satisfy his master.

"Is that so...? But, Gi-yun, don’t you know the reason I seek the authors of  and ...?"

"I remember. When Your Majesty confided in Joseon’s crown prince not long ago, I was present at that moment."

That was the day, after recalling the Empress who had suddenly died during the boat outing, that Qianlong wrote an impromptu elegy before the crown prince.

The Emperor’s true feelings, which no one had ever known, were briefly revealed in that moment.

‘If that person could live on in everyone’s memory, if her virtue and character could be passed down for hundreds of years...’

Of course, it wasn’t untrue that Qianlong was drawn to fine calligraphy and han poetry itself.

But.

The Emperor sought an author who could elegantly and skillfully weave real stories into novels, as in .

He also desired a writer who could movingly depict a romance with a beloved person, as in .

‘If only the two were the same person... But such a literary figure could not possibly exist.’

Thus, for the first time, Qianlong showed a sigh to Joseon’s crown prince, who reminded him of his own departed heir.

Yet, just as the weak expression he had shown then was but an illusion,

The Emperor now glared at Gi-yun, who had violated his command and escaped the translation room.

If it turned out he had halted his translation without a proper reason, Qianlong looked ready to tear him apart.

"Anyway. What’s that you’re holding...?"

But Gi-yun, a capable minister who had long rolled under Qianlong, held something up for all to see—a brand-new, glossy, stiff book.

Could it be a new work to stir the Emperor’s heart?

But Qianlong quickly reined in his hopes.

Having scoured every bookstore in the capital, he had already discovered that Joseon’s limited publishing market was no match for Beijing’s.

Only Park Ji-won, hailed as Joseon’s greatest storyteller, had been somewhat impressive.

Most of the reason Qianlong had so highly rated Joseon’s novels was owed to a mysterious author, ‘that person,’ whose identity remained shrouded in secrecy.

However.

Even so, the book Gi-yun now brought out could satisfy Qianlong at least a fraction.

On the unfamiliar new cover, the Emperor saw a title very familiar to him.

"...? Did you prepare this in advance seeing how worn my copy was? But I prefer the one my hands are used to..."

"It’s true I prepared it after seeing Your Majesty’s old book, but... Please take a look."

And at that, after glancing at the book in Gi-yun’s hand, the Emperor could not help but exclaim in admiration.

It was not simply a new copy.

"It has illustrations?! And they seem to be drawn by a master painter...!!"

"Yes, Your Majesty. The owner of the printing house we visited for inquiries last time sent it as a gift for Your Majesty."

"Ho...!!"

Turning the pages, Qianlong marveled at the illustrations in , drawn in a style modern readers would find familiar.

It was a project that Gye Deok-sang of the Gyeonggi printing house had been preparing for quite some time.

Originally, it was a business plan to revive the author’s early works, once their popularity had waned, and squeeze the readers anew.

"A special edition...??"

"Yes. The illustrations make it expensive, but for readers captivated by this novel, it’s a must-have..."

"This is most to my liking...!!"

Qianlong immediately summoned a eunuch and ordered that the illustrated pages be added to his old  and rebound.

However, his reaction was much more intense than Gi-yun had expected.

Judging by the strange light flickering in the Emperor’s eyes, it seemed...

"And who is the one who drew these illustrations?!"

"I thought Your Majesty would be curious, so I looked into it... Let’s see, Shin Yun-bok...?"

Yet even as he replied, Qianlong could not take his eyes off the delicate, gentle lines unique to the artist.

It was as if his feeble convalescence had been a lie; Qianlong let out a great shout.

"Shin Yun-bok...!! That person must also be presented before me by this evening!!"

Thus,

A new target was added to the Emperor’s treasure chest.

Well, Gye Deok-sang, who had lost a fortune in gift trading, must have wanted to snatch up Joseon’s top court painter and sell off special editions as much as possible.

Perhaps it was a problem that Qianlong’s infamous reputation hadn’t fully reached Joseon yet.

Thanks to experience gained since the Thousand Character Classic Card days, they at least succeeded in making woodblock prints of Shin Yun-bok’s  illustrations.

But seeing the Emperor’s reaction, it was all but certain that the next special edition, , would be delayed for quite some time.

But then,

As Gye Deok-sang and Shin Yun-bok felt an unidentifiable murderous aura bearing down on them and struggled to breathe, a miracle occurred, and their chests loosened at once.

"Ah, and Your Majesty..."

Just as Qianlong was about to go on a rampage in pursuit of a new jewel, Gi-yun drew out something else from his sleeve and offered it.

Again, it was a new book with a stiff cover.

Qianlong’s pupils, already dilated in excitement, widened even further.

The Emperor knew.

His loyal Gi-yun always saved the tastiest treats for last.

"W-wait, Gi-yun...!!"

A special edition reissue of a masterpiece with illustrations.

And the introduction of an artist among the finest in Joseon, enough to catch the Emperor’s eye.

Could it be that the book Gi-yun had just produced was an even rarer treasure than these?

Qianlong’s withered hand was now trembling uncontrollably.

"Yes. It can only be confirmed after Your Majesty’s discerning eye has examined it..."

But Gi-yun could not finish his sentence.

In a blur, the trembling hand of the Emperor snatched the book from his own.

As if he had an artist’s radar built in, the Emperor had always possessed a unique sixth sense.

Such an intense reaction from Qianlong meant that his quest to find a new masterpiece on this tour was not in vain.

For the first time since leaving Beijing, Gi-yun found a faint smile rising to his lips.

But then.

"Y-your Majesty...?"

Some time later.

As Gi-yun observed the Emperor reading the new work with a contented expression, cold sweat began to trickle down his back.

The reason was...

"......"

An unexpected change was occurring at the corners of Qianlong’s eyes, which had been smiling contentedly.

And at that moment,

Gi-yun recalled a story he’d heard while staying in Beijing not long ago.

‘They say...unbelievable as it sounds, His Majesty shed tears reading a novel...’

There was testimony from a eunuch who, having witnessed the incident and fearing he might be beheaded, fled the scene.

When Gi-yun heard it, he’d scoffed, ‘That old fox, crying? As if.’

But now.

From the wrinkles at the corner of Qianlong’s eye, something was trickling down.

It was a single drop of dragon’s tear.

The Emperor seemed to have forgotten all about his command to summon Joseon’s greatest artist.

‘W-why...??’

---

"Did you hear??"

Meanwhile, just a little earlier.

For the first time in a long while, the court ladies were abuzz with talk of novels.

It was the first time this had happened since the first volume of  made the rounds among the palace maids as a test.

"The new work by the author of ...??"

"Is that for real??"

"No way! Aren’t they busy writing ??"

In fact, the court ladies who favored romance novels had been starving for a new work for years.

That all began after the appearance of , which combined a never-before-seen love triangle cliché with a sweet, compelling style.

But the mysterious ‘author’ who had shaken so many hearts had not published a single romance since that debut.

Later, the spin-off  gave some after-stories about Lady Ami, but that was all.

After that came , , —all works tailored for men or children.

"Will that person never write another romance...?"

"I’m disappointed there’s no love story in the sequels..."

"Others say it’s better without unnecessary romance, but still, I..."

"It’s so late... At this rate, I’ll become an old lady before the next one comes out!"

The readers of this genre had endured a burning thirst for a long time, desperately waiting for the next romance from ‘that person.’

Then, one day—

"Her Ladyship said something good would happen soon!!"

"Her Ladyship? Which Ladyship??"

"Lady Choi, Chief Court Lady! The legendary one in charge of training the apprentice maids, said to have read every novel in Hanyang!"

"The one with connections to every publishing guild in Hanyang??"

"What...?! Then...!!"

She, who had a notorious reputation even among the palace maids for her discerning taste in novels,

Lady Choi, the unrivaled heavy reader recognized by all, who would secretly slip new releases to others even before the appearance of ‘that person,’

Gave word of hopeful news to the parched, romance-hungry court ladies.

So great was Lady Choi’s influence that one corner of the Eastern Palace was thrown into an uproar with a single word.

So much so that as soon as the rumor spread, some court ladies organized a secret club to buy the new book...

"Ladyship...! When is this ‘soon’?!"

"You again? You come every day, don’t you?"

"Like last time, can’t you let us read it first and tell you our reaction...?"

"Would it not come out on its own if you just waited?! Get to work at once!"

"S-sorry!!"

A few court ladies even went so far as to stalk Lady Choi, desperate to find out the release date.

Their anticipation was sky-high.

Not long after,

One court lady burst into her quarters with something hidden like a treasure under her robes.

There was such a fierce look in her eyes, as if she’d let no one else have it.

"Is this it...??"

"Yes. Lady Choi asked us to return it quickly and give her our thoughts..."

"Of course! Even if I have to stay up all night, I’ll write a report right away...!!"

That night, a small cheer rose among the court ladies chosen as Lady Choi’s star reviewers.

Before long, the cheers of joy turned to gasps of astonishment...

"T-this... This is incredible...?!"

"Hey, hey! There’s no time to talk! Turn the page!!"

"No way... How can it feel so real?!"

It was exactly as they had hoped.

The author had returned with a dazzling new romance, even surpassing  in excitement.

The court ladies, crowded around, pressed their foreheads together to read the precious manuscript even a little faster.

"Ouch, ouch!!"

"My head’s going to crack, you know!!"

"S-sorry... But while there’s an opening... Hiya!!"

"Hey!! You—!!"

There were moments when the reading was interrupted by minor squabbles.

Regardless, the court ladies were so swept away by ‘that person’s’ new love story that they lost all sense of themselves.

"Wow... Wow..."

"Next volume!! Where’s the next one?!"

"Let’s tell Lady Choi right away! It’s perfect, but the one flaw is that the next volume isn’t out yet...!!"

In the end.

The response of the court ladies who finished the first volume was the hottest of any of ‘that person’s’ works.

Though, the reason was a little unique.

Of course, since acquiring the extradimensional library, ‘that person’s’ skill had improved with each work...

"A story of a celestial official and a fairy descending from the heavens, destined to be together...!!"

"Two people bound by a political marriage after meeting briefly as children, growing closer as they face court intrigue and schemes...!!"

Above all, the very setting of the novel made it most immersive for the court ladies.

That’s right.

The stage for this romance novel was the palace.

Moreover.

"There are quite a few parts where the story is told through someone else’s eyes? That’s refreshing!"

"Someone just like us..."

"...A palace maid’s perspective, right?"

"Wow. It’s so immersive, honestly..."

This novel featured an unusual device never before seen in a picaresque.

In every major episode, the two protagonists were shown through the eyes of a third party.

And that observer’s identity was a court maid who served the heroine.

In a familiar palace setting, with even a relatable supporting character to immerse themselves in,

The descriptions of court life were so vivid, as if the author had inside information, that the test readers’ reactions grew even more passionate.

Also, that wasn’t the only reason the court ladies became so attached to the heroine.

[...

"You, come here for a moment."

"Y-your Majesty, the Empress...?"

"Come now. You’re a clever child."

Was it from that day?

The maid who had always lingered near the two became intimately entangled in their fate...]

In truth, this was the novel that had brought tears to the Emperor’s eyes.

At first, readers were drawn in by the story of the male and female protagonists moving through the living, breathing world of the palace.

But as the story unfolded, the court maid who was just a simple observer was steadily pulled into the center of events.

But then.

"Wait, now that you mention it..."

In the midst of that, a strange phenomenon began to occur among the court ladies.

Clearly, the novel was based on events in the Qing imperial court.

So why did court maids, who had lived all their lives in the Joseon palace, now feel this odd sense of familiarity

Reading the story of the distant neighboring country’s imperial court, why did it all feel so strange and familiar?

"It definitely feels like I’ve heard this somewhere before?"

"Yeah... Where did I see this...?"

The reason for this peculiar sense of déjà vu.

Most of the court ladies would never know the answer.